Mr Hegarty said the new Clinical Decision Unit at Caloundra Hospital has been completed ahead of schedule.

“The unit is expected to open on schedule on February 1, 2010,” he said.

“New nursing staff will start work in January and the lengthy process of recruiting additional medical staff is also under way.

“Patients are already benefiting from the 12-chair renal unit, 12-chair oral health unit, which includes two special-needs rooms, an on-site dental laboratory and sterilising department and an expanded pharmacy department, all of which have opened last December.”